Halifax L9509 at Rufforth airfield.
On 16th April 1942 this 1652 Conversion Unit aircraft suffered the undercarriage failing to deploy properly on the approach to land, at 11.00hrs the instructor landed the aircraft on the airfield at Rufforth with the undercarriage partially retracted. The aircraft suffered minor damage and was later repaired. Three hours later the same instructor was back in the air, possibly with another trainee crew, when an engine of the second aircraft, Halifax R9431, caught fire. He was able to effect a safe landing back at Marston Moor but the aircraft was deemed beyond repair.
Instructor Pilot - F/O Kenneth Derek Whisken DFC RAFVR (61037).
Trainee Crew - Names unknown.
On 30th August 1941 he was the pilot of Whitley Z6798 which was damaged by flak but he was able to return to Topcliffe and land without further incident.
F/O Whisken was killed on 25th June 1942 and is buried in Dalfsen General Cemetery, Holland. He was twenty two years old. He was the pilot of Halifax
V9993 which was shot down on Ops to Bremen and crashed in Holland, the aircraft was on charge with 1652 Conversion Unit at the time of the loss. Oddly CWGC
give the date of 25th June for his death, where as W R Chorley quotes the time of the aircraft being shot down as being just after 2AM on the 26th. One other
member of his crew was killed but the date for his death was on the 26th, it could be that Whisken had been killed in an initial combat and another member of
the crew had attempted to fly the damaged aircraft before it was later abandoned.
Kenneth Whisken received a commission to the rank of P/O on probation on 18th January 1941 (with seniority back dated to 14th January 1941). He rose to F/O exactly a year later.
He was awarded the DFC for service with 102 Squadron, Gazetted on 13th March 1942. The citation reads.."This officer has participated in sorties both as second
pilot and as captain of aircraft. He has shown exceptional skill and determination in pressing home his attacks at all time. P/O Whisken has attacked many
important targets in Germany, including Hamburg, Mannheim, Frankfurt, Stettin and Cologne. He has at all times set a courageous example."
Halifax L9509 was built to contract 692649/37 by Handley Page Ltd. at Radlett. It was allotted to 35 Squadron on 28th February 1941 and was taken on charge by 35 Squadron at Linton on Ouse on 6th April 1941. It sustained Cat.A/FB damage on 11th June 1941 as a result of flak damage. The damage was repaired on site and it remained with 35 Squadron until being transferred to the newly formed 28 Conversion Flight on 28th October 1941. The AM Form 78 shows the aircraft was returned to 35 Squadron at Linton on Ouse on 7th November 1941 but it was transferred back to 28 Conversion Flight on 20th November 1941 but whom had moved to Marston Moor in the time it was away from them. On 2nd January 1942 28 Conversion Flight was absorbed into the newly formed 1652 Conversion Unit. As a result of a mishap at Marston Moor on 11th February 1942 the damage was assessed as being Cat.Ac/FA. It was repaired on site and returned to the unit on 7th April 1942. It was damaged again on 16th April 1942 in a landing accident at Rufforth. Cat.Ac/FA damage was again the assessment, it was again repaired on site by a team from Handley Page but it took some months. It was returned to the unit on 9th September 1942 but who were now called 1652 Heavy Conversion Unit. It continued to serve with 1652 H.C.U. until 3rd April 1943 when it crashed on landing at Marston Moor. The damage was initially assessed as being repairable Cat.B/FA but as the repair was begun on 15th April 1943 it was deemed more serious than first thought so was Re-Cat.E1. The aircraft was struck off charge on 29th April 1943 and had clocked up a total of 360 hours total flying time when written off.